Lesson
2- Basic rules and tools for freezer cooking
What tools do you actually need before you
start cooking? That is hard to say because what you will need to start
freezer cooking will vary from person to person and from recipe to recipe.
Before freezer cooking, I wasn’t much of a cook and I had plenty of pots,
pans and casserole dishes to get started. I recommend that you start with
what you have on hand if possible, then after a few OAMC sessions if there
is something that will make your life easier, go and get it.
Here is a list of suggested tools:
- 8x8 baking pans or
9x13 baking pans based on your family size
- A binder to hold
your freezer cooking information and recipes
- A carving knife, a
paring knife and a serrated edge ("bread") knife
- A colander or pasta
pot with built in colander
- A few mixing bowls
- A food processor is
nice but not necessary
- A set of measuring
cups and spoons
- A vegetable peeler,
a grater, and a rubber spatula
- Cooking spatulas and
spoons
- Rigid sided freezer
containers if desired
- Two cutting boards,
one for meat and one for veggies/fruits
- Two or three large
cookie or baking sheets
- Two saucepans, two
stockpots, and one skillet each with a lid
- Ziploc Freezer bags-
DON’T scrimp here!!!
The first basic rule of freezer cooking is
that you need to know what freezes well. Potatoes only free well in certain
circumstances. Pasta and rice freeze well but most people choose to
undercook them on assembly day so they won’t be mushy when served. Again
I’ll mention to take freezing instructions them with a grain of salt. If
they state a substance cannot be frozen that may mean that it will not have
the same texture after being thawed. Fir eating alone of in a salad that is
not desirable but for an ingredient in a recipe or adding to a cooking dish
you may find it OK.) If you are in doubt about any ingredient in a recipe
take the 2 week test. Make a small batch (say a batch that serves 4 people)
and freeze it for 2 weeks. Then thaw, heat and eat the dish. Did everything
taste OK? Did it hold up OK in the freezer? If so, you have a winner, if not
try and figure out what it was that didn’t taste right. Can that item be
eliminated or replaced? At this point it is up to you, you can give up and
always cook that dish fresh or play around a bit and see if you can
“FREEZERIZE” the recipe!!!
These websites will
help you learn what can and cannot be frozen.
Focus on Freezing
Freezing chart
Freezing Vegetables
Freezing Fruits
Home Freezing Basics
Blanching times and preparation instructions for specific vegetables
These links that will give you great
information on freezing vegetables, fruits and a few other foods. As a rule
veggies must be blanched before freezing, however, there ARE exceptions to
the rule!! <G> For easy reference most of this information is included in
the 30 Day Gourmet Freezer Manual. This is the ONE tool you really need to
have!!!
 
The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet: A Month of Meals Made
Easy buy it now for $13.50 or less if you are a Reader’s Advantage
member. This is TRULY a bargain!!! I bought the book in 1998 (I think) and
the price was $25.00. I think that $25 investment was the best investment
in cooking OR money saving I have ever made!!!
I have a number of other freezer books,
but this one is the BEST and it is the one that I refer to over and over
again. (I also give these as gifts, I think I have bought 5 for them now!!)
I use the 30 forms EVERY time I plan a cooking session. Even without the
recipes this book would be a good deal, because of the information that is
given. However, we have tried most of the recipes in this book and there is
not ONE recipe that my family didn’t like. The recipes aren’t gourmet dishes
that will impress you local culinary institute- however; in “my line of
work” impressing my family is good enough for me!!!
Today’s challenge is to see if you have
the tools that are mentioned in this lesson and gather them. You might want
to order the 30 Day Gourmet Freezer Manual as well!! |
